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Police: Couple admits to heroin overdose at McDonald's play area in Green Twp., woman due in court

Tamica Jeffers, Robert Palmer face endangering children charges in a pre-trial scheduled for March 13, 2014 (Photo: Hamilton County Municipal Court)

Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

CINCINNATI -- An Indiana couple was taken to jail after they admitted to taking heroin and overdosing outside a McDonald's restaurant in Green Township while their children played nearby and one of the two was set to appear in Hamilton County court Wednesday for trial, but their trial was continued until April 7.

Tamica Jeffers, 33, and Robert Palmer, 37, both of Dillsboro, Ind., were found in the play area of the McDonald's at 5425 N. Bend Road on Sunday, March 9, according to the affidavit from the Hamilton County Municipal Court. Jeffers was conscious, but unresponsive. Palmer was unconscious and not breathing.

They collapsed in front of their two children, according to Green Twp. police.

Jeffers and Palmer were taken to Mercy West Hospital, where they each told Cpl. T. Icenogle that they had used heroin.

The drug use resulted in a life-threatening overdose, the affidavit said.

Their children, a 6-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy, were in the couple's care at the time of the overdose. They were playing in the play area at the fast-food restaurant.

"It's an unusual set of circumstances," Chief Bart West said. "I've never heard of a case where we had kids in a restaurant like this where someone overdosed on heroin."

Restaurant employees and customers used a defibrillator on the man for eight minutes until paramedics arrived.

First responders thought Palmer had suffered a heart attack and died, but the Mack Life Squad was able to revive him. Until Jeffers was interviewed at the hospital, those at the McDonald's who saw her assumed she'd had a seizure.

Court records show both pleaded not guilty.

"Their obligation is to take care of the kids and make sure they're safe, and in this case they were using heroin and the children could have been ... anything could have happened to them," West said.

Jeffers was due in court at 9 a.m. Wednesday but her trial was continued until April 7. Palmer's next court date is set for March 27. Municipal Court Judge Megan Shanahan ordered him to stay away from the two children. His relationship to them wasn't clear; neither shared his last name, according to court records.

Mary Haag, head of the Coalition for a Drug Free Greater Cincinnati is working to prevent drug use and make communities safer. She believes early prevention can prevent overdoses like what happened Sunday.

"It's sad. It's horrible," Haag said. "It's not good for the entire family. It's not good for us as a society or community. It's why we have to get to these addictions and have them treated."

"Prevention needs to come first. We start early. We start often so that folks don't progress to this level of abuse and addiction -- these harder, highly addictive drugs."

Indiana children's service workers were called, according to a spokesman for Hamilton County Job and Family Services.

“The safety and well being of our customers and employees are always our top priority,” McDonald’s owner and franchisee said in a statement. "In this situation, I'm proud that both crew and customers took quick action to respond to this emergency and call 911 for medical attention."

Three other overdoses apparently occurred the same day in the Green Township area.

"We have someone assigned to the drug unit to try to stop the supply by arresting the people that are selling heroin and when we come across heroin in our daily activities, then we charge people with possession," West said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.